It is well known to use exhaust systems. Exhaust systems may be used to create air flow, circulate air, heat, cool, remove air, remove contaminants, or otherwise sterilize environments. Exhaust systems may be used in a plurality of applications including but not limited to painting, welding, body work, cleaning, and the like. It is often important to create and maintain an air flow to facilitate the work process.
Exhaust systems are needed specifically for welding. Commonly, ferrous metals and other like contaminants may interfere with aluminum welds and corrode aluminum. For example, steel particles may contaminate aluminum welds, and contaminants such as steel, chrome, zinc, manganese, boron or lead may corrode and deteriorate aluminum surfaces in a process called galvanic corrosion. Care must be taken to ensure that aluminum repair is not subject to exposure to these and other types of contaminants. Often, it is difficult to sequester aluminum parts from contaminants that may interfere with aluminum welds and otherwise may corrode or deteriorate aluminum surfaces. In addition, aluminum dust, which may be generated during aluminum repair, when mixed with iron oxide particles and/or magnesium, may combust in a thermite reaction, causing injury and damage.
Similarly, paint and other like solutions have well known hazards associated with them when coming into contact with humans and other living things. They include, generally, rashes; swelling; eye irritation; sore throat, cough, fatigue, nausea, and dizziness from short term inhalation; liver, kidney, lung, digestive system, and central nervous system damage from long term or massive exposure; fire, explosions; and reactivity from mixing of volatile substances. Many of these hazards may be avoided by painting in a location that has very good ventilation.
Objects may be painted in open areas. Dust, water, hair, debris, pollen, or other contaminants may come into contact with the object or otherwise become coated in the paint. This may cause bumps or imperfections in the paint, which require additional time, paint, and labor to correct. Commonly objects are painted in work booths to prevent any contaminants from affecting the painting process. These booths are made to provide sufficient ventilation while protecting objects from contaminants. Whether one paints in an open area or within a booth, painting in a time consuming process. It takes time to prepare the object for painting, to actually paint the object, to let the paint dry, to add additional coats of paint, and to allow the additional coast of paint to dry.
To ensure that contamination does not occur, proper ventilation and exhaust systems must be utilized so the air is free of contaminants, such as paint, chemicals, water vapor, steel, chrome, zinc, lead, manganese and boron dust. It is often difficult to install and utilize a proper ventilation and exhaust system for ensuring air is free of contamination. A need, therefore, exists for adequate ventilation and exhaust systems to ensure the working air is free of contamination.
Moreover, common exhaust systems fail to adequately allow for finishing of painted or welded products. A need, therefore, exists for sufficient ventilation that allows for the finishing of painted or welded products.
Often, floor exhausts provide many benefits. Generally, floor exhausts can suck in air that is dispensed from another source, such as the ceiling. This creates airflow from top to bottom. A need exists for floor exhausts that create airflow from top to bottom.
In order to have a floor exhausts, it generally must be built into the floor, which is often concrete or some other stationary material. Installing a floor exhaust into stationary material limits the work area to that location and permanently disfigures the floor. Often, because of location, it is not possible to install a floor exhaust within the concrete or other stationary material. A need exists for a floor exhaust that may be installed even when in-ground floor exhausts are not possible or severely limiting.
Installing floor exhaust systems often requires much assembly time and materials. Not only are some locations incapable of receiving a floor exhaust system, but those locations that are capable of receiving a floor exhaust system require extensive resources and time investments for installation. A need exists for a floor exhaust system that requires little time and resources for installation.
Often, floor exhaust systems involve two rows of pits instead of one larger pit. Two row pit systems provide greater suction in strategic locations, instead of having a general large surface area. Two row pit systems are disadvantageous, though, because one has to create two pits instead of one, which may involve twice the material and time, and one must coordinate the suction and exhausts between the two pits. The single pit is advantageous because a central exhaust tunnel or duct controls the suction throughout the single pit. Therefore, a need exists for an exhaust system that combines the advantages of the two pit system with a central exhaust tunnel or duct.
Additionally, floor exhaust systems are generally large and often around 2-4 feet deep or more. Raised floor systems, which are sometimes an alternative to in-ground floor exhaust systems, are often similar in size and require the entire room to be raised accordingly to accommodate the increase in floor height. A need exists for a compact floor exhaust system with a low height, such that the room the floor exhaust system is installed in does not have to be adjusted accordingly.
When raised floor systems are used, the height of the raised floor is higher than ground level. Ramps, steps, or other height increasing devices are often required to assist a person in going from one height to another. Alternatively, an entire area may be raised such that the difference in height of the raised floor and ground level is not apparent. Normally, if ramps or steps are used, they are attached adjacent the raised floor to not interfere with the exhaust system within the raised floor. Therefore, these ramps or steps are additional materials that take up additional space. A need exists for a sloped surface on the floor exhaust system that both transitions between ground level and the height of the raised floor and provides functionality to the floor exhaust system.